Posts Tagged ‘Insurance’

Big Government Health Care PSA

Posted on 2010 06, 03 by rockingjude

No, You Can’t Keep Your Health Plan…WHAT??

Posted on 2010 05, 18 by rockingjude
Health Insurance Does Not Insure Health
Image by SavaTheAggie via Flickr

By SCOTT GOTTLIEB

President Obama guaranteed Americans that after health reform became law they could keep their insurance plans and their doctors. It’s clear that this promise cannot be kept. Insurers and physicians are already reshaping their businesses as a result of Mr. Obama’s plan.

The health-reform law caps how much insurers can spend on expenses and take for profits. Starting next year, health plans will have a regulated “floor” on their medical-loss ratios, which is the amount of revenue they spend on medical claims. Insurers can only spend 20% of their premiums on running their plans if they offer policies directly to consumers or to small employers. The spending cap is 15% for policies sold to large employers.

Essent…you figure it out..loll

Posted on 2010 02, 22 by rockingjude
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddi...
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Reading carefully through she notices that basically the two largest banks and Freddie and Fannie are now actually backing a company named ESSENT which is a mortgage quarentor to back loans that lenders plan to place with the government-owned mortgage companies.~got that?

~jude

By Jamie McGee

Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) — Essent Group Ltd., the mortgage guarantor backed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., will capitalize on a housing-market rebound and tighter standards instituted by money-losing rivals, said Mark Casale, the insurer’s chief executive officer.

Essent, which said today that government-owned mortgage companies agreed to take the loans it insures, joins the industry after competitors have recorded two years of losses on loans they backed before standards improved. Essent plans to begin selling policies in the second quarter, Casale said today in an interview.

Medicare Buy In: Worst. Idea. Ever.

Posted on 2009 12, 10 by rockingjude

Scanned image of author's US Social Security card.
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December 9th, 2009 | Author: Bruce McQuain

What in the world are the Senate Democrats thinking?  Isn’t this supposed to be about “health care reform”?  Apparently their idea of reform is to take a system that has trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities and expand it without ever addressing the underlying reason for the huge future debt?

Brilliant.  Just brilliant.

But apparently winning the process (passing something called “health care reform”) has become more important than the original purpose of “reform”.

This is just a stunningly bad idea, but one that seems to be generating some “enthusiasm” among Democrats and “progressives”:

Now, it appears, negotiators are making headway to ensure that the [Medicare] expansion would take place at a far quicker pace than any proposed public option. According to the well-placed source, Democrats are rallying behind a proposal that would allow a portion of the 55-64 year old age group to buy in to the Medicare system as early as 2010. By contrast, a public plan for insurance coverage would not come into being until 2014.

That group which would get immediate access, of course, would the the high-risk group that will cost the most to treat.

In addition to debating a potential start date for a Medicare buy-in proposal, Senate Democrats are also in negotiations over who, exactly, should be allowed to qualify for the expanded Medicare program. At this juncture, it doesn’t appear that everyone in the 55-64-age bracket would be granted access. Negotiators are considering limiting consumers to those who would qualify for high-risk insurance pools already set up under the Senate’s health care legislation. This would mean primarily those who have been uninsured for a certain amount of time, have a history of poor health or are unable to get insurance because of a preexisting condition. The Senate has already earmarked $5 billion for subsidies for this group to buy insurance and may increase that total to help them pay for Medicare coverage — should it become available to those under 65 and above 55 years of age.

Note that the subsidy is only to help this group buy insurance coverage under Medicare. It says nothing about the cost of that pool to Medicare. And, don’t forget, they’re cutting Medicare payments by $500 billion over then next 10 years.

Then, in 2014, they’re going to bring in the rest of that age group in total. And they’re going to tell you this will save money and “reform” health care?

What a load of horse apples. A little reminder for those who seem unable to remember or remain willfully ignorant:

According to the Medicare Trustees:

* Medicare’s expected future obligations exceeded premiums and dedicated taxes by $89 trillion.
* In other words, Medicare’s liability is about 5 1/2 times the size of Social Security’s ($18 trillion) and about six times the size of the entire U.S. economy.
* Throw in Medicaid,
and health care spending alone will crowd out every other thing the federal government is doing by mid-century, says Goodman.

A Deathblow for Obamacare…

Posted on 2009 11, 16 by rockingjude

The Heritage Foundation

A Deathblow for Obamacare

Quite a bold statement if true. But a report released Friday by the non-partisan and independent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency in charge of running Medicare and Medicaid, blows the lid off of every one of Obama’s claims. All of the following quotes are from the report itself:

Health Care Costs Increase: “In aggregate, we estimate that for calendar years 2010 through 2019 [national health expenditures (NHE)] would increase by $289 billion, or 0.8 percent, over the updates baseline projection that was released on June 29, 2009.” In other words, Obamacare bends the cost curve up, not down.

Millions Lose Existing Private Coverage: “However, a number of workers who currently have employer coverage would likely become enrolled in the expanded Medicaid program or receive subsidized coverage through the Exchange. For example, some smaller employers would be inclined to terminate their existing coverage, and companies with low average salaries might find it to their – and their employees’ – advantage to end their plans … We estimate that such actions would collectively reduce the number of people with employer-sponsored health coverage by about 12 million.” In other words, Obamacare will cause millions of Americans to lose their existing private coverage.

Millions Pay Fines Yet Remain Uncovered: “18 million are estimated to choose not to be insured and to pay the penalty associated with the individual mandate. For the most part, these would be individuals with relatively low health care expenses for whom the individual or family insurance premium would be significantly in excess of the penalty and their anticipated health benefit value.” In other words, 18 million Americans will either face jail time or be forced to pay a new tax they will receive no benefit from.

Millions Lose Medicare Advantage: “Section 1161 of Division B of H.R. 3962 would set Medicare Advantage capitation benchmarks … We estimate that in 2014 when the MA provisions would be fully phased in, enrollment in MA plans would decreased by 64 percent (from its projected level of 13.2 million under current law to 4.7 million under the proposal).” In other words, 8.5 million seniors who currently get such services as coor dinated care for chronic conditions, routine eye and hearing examinations, and preventive-care services would lose their existing private coverage.

Millions Placed on Welfare: “Of the additional 34 million who are estimated to be insured in 2019 as a result of H.R. 3962, about three-fifths (21 million) would receive Medicaid coverage due to the expansion of eligibility to those adults under 150 percent of the FPL.” In other words, more than half the people who gain health insurance will receive it through the welfare program Medicaid.

Seniors Access to Care Jeopardized: “H.R. 3962 would introduce permanent annual productivity adjustments to price updates for institutional providers… Over time, a sustained reduction in payment updates, based on productivity expectations that are difficult to attain, would cause Medicare payment rates to grow more slowly than and in a way that was unrelated to, the providers’ costs of furnishing services to beneficiaries. Thus, providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” In other words, the Medicare cuts in the House bill are so out of touch with reality that hospitals currently serving Medicare patients might be forced to stop doing so. Thus making it much more difficult for seniors to get health care.

Poor’s Access Problems Exacerbated: “In practice, supply constraints might interfere with providing the services by the additional 34 million insured persons. …providers might tend to accept more patients who have private insurance (with relatively attractive payment rates) and fewer Medicaid patients, exacerbating existing access problems for the latter group.” In other words, those 21 million people who are gaining health insurance through Medicaid are going to have a very tough time finding a doctor who will treat them.

Reacting in part to Friday’s CMS report, Robert J. Samuelson writes in today’s Washington Post:

The disconnect between what President Obama says and what he’s doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. The president, his advisers and allies have no trouble. But reconciling blatantly contradictory objectives requires them to engage in willful self-deception, public dishonesty, or both.

0 Facts Every American Should Know About Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-Page Gov’t Takeover of Health Care…

Posted on 2009 11, 01 by rockingjude
By Representative John Boehner (R-OH), Washington, Oct 29

Members of Congress and the American people are just beginning to look at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) 1,990-page government takeover of health care, but it’s already becoming clear just how costly and unsustainable this proposal is. From higher taxes on middle-class families to job-killing mandates on small businesses to cuts in Medicare benefits for seniors, here are 10 facts every American should know about Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page government takeover of health care:….

10 Fact Details Here: http://community.fox4kc.com/_10-Facts-Every-American-Should-Know-About-Speaker-Pelosis-1990-Page-Govt-Takeover-of-Health-Care/BLOG/1449153/96364.html

FACTS COVERED:
1. RAISES TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES.
2. MASSIVE CUTS TO MEDICARE BENEFITS FOR SENIORS.
3. NO PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
4. INCREASES THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE.
5. USES GIMMICKS TO HIDE BUDGET-BUSTING COST, PILES UP DEBT ON FUTURE GENERATIONS.
6. IMPOSES JOB-KILLING EMPLOYER MANDATES.
7. TILTS THE PLAYING FIELD IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT-RUN INSURANCE COMPANY.
8. THREATENS CASH-STRAPPED STATES WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES.
9. CREATES A NEW MONSTROSITY IN THE TAX CODE.
10. MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURTAIL JUNK LAWSUITS.

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Goldman Sachs 2009 bonuses to double 2008’s; $23 billion could send 460,000 to Harvard, buy insurance for 1.7 million families

Posted on 2009 10, 13 by rockingjude

2008-05-27-1MillionDollarsBy John Byrne

Yesterday, we brought you the insurance company that wouldn’t insure a 17-pound infant because he was too heavy. Today, we bring you the investment bank that manages to double its bonuses during the worst recession since the Great Depression.

On Thursday, Goldman Sachs will announce the firm’s bonus payments for 2009. Analysts expect the bonus pool to mushroom to $23 billion — double the bonus pool paid to employees in 2008. Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs said that it had put aside $11.4 billion for bonuses during the first half of the year.

“The absolute size of compensation payouts will rise significantly,” Keith Horowitz, an analyst at Citigroup, wrote in a note to clients two weeks ago, highlighted by Andrew Sorkin in The New York Timesdealbook column Tuesday.

How much is $23,000,000,000?

For one thing, it’s enough to send 460,000 full paying students to Harvard University for one year, or 115,000 for four years.

It’s enough to pay the health insurance premium for the average American family ($13,375) 1.7 million times.

An analysis of President Obama’s hard sell of socialized medicine

Posted on 2009 09, 12 by duo

By Vincent Gioia

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Me...
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It’s ironical that Obama spoke the truth during his campaign for the presidency and once elected does not. No one listened then but many are listening now.

Obama told Americans what he believed both by the people with whom he associated and the policies he would follow as president. No one listened then but many are listening now.

First to be exposed was his association with the country-hating Reverend Wright on whose knee Obama sat for twenty years. Then we learned that Obama began his run for election at the home of left wing Weatherman terrorist William Ayres and his co-conspirator wife Bernadine Dohrn. [Note: Obama himself said you could judge a person by the company he keeps.]

As for his political beliefs, Obama famously admitted he would “spread the wealth” if elected. He also said he would enact Health Care “Reform.” The only thing he didn’t expressly say was that he would expand government and government control over our lives. Nonetheless this was also apparent to anyone who listened carefully, but once again, too many didn’t listen.

Obama started by instituting government takeovers of the banking system and the auto industry then focused attention on the one-sixth of the economy, the health care system. When the president and his far left Democrat followers ran into trouble enacting this part of the agenda, our president turned to his one sure thing to garner public support, his teleprompter.

Let’s take a look at his oration from Mount Capital; the famous Obama speech on the imperative need for Obamacare.

5 Myths About Health Care Around the World

Posted on 2009 09, 10 by rockingjude

By T.R. Reid

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Farmers Insurance, Thanks for Nothing

I’ve traveled the world from Oslo to Osaka to see how other developed democracies provide health care. Instead of dismissing these models as “socialist,” we could adapt their solutions to fix our problems. To do that, we first have to dispel a few myths about health care abroad:

1. It’s all socialized medicine out there.

Not so. Some countries, such as Britain, New Zealand and Cuba, do provide health care in government hospitals, with the government paying the bills. Others — for instance, Canada and Taiwan — rely on private-sector providers, paid for by government-run insurance. But many wealthy countries — including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Switzerland — provide universal coverage using private doctors, private hospitals and private insurance plans.


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